In a recent conversation with Eddie Heath, one of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s field strategists, he expressed concern that five churches in his region had lost their pastors, some under difficult circumstances. “I have never seen it like this before,” he said. “There is so much unrest in churches these days it’s unbelievable.” When I asked if he had some idea about what was causing it, he said, ”Well, I can’t prove it, but I believe there is so much anxiety in our country created by politics — you know, Congress and the president — that some of that just naturally filters into our churches.”
Jim White
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Through the years I’ve known Heath to be a pretty savvy guy, so I began to think seriously about his theory. Goodness knows there has been enough to depress the entire nation. A brief list of our national frustrations would include the failures Congress and the White House to reach agreements about spending (and the resulting sequestration), immigration and gun-control legislation. Plus, we still have more questions than answers about health care reform. Add to these the tragic Newtown killings, the Boston bombings, the West, Texas, fertilizer plant explosion and the three Cleveland women who were held captive for more than a decade, all of which captured national attention.
Pile on the continuing investigations into how transparent the administration has been about the Benghazi terrorist attacks on the U.S. embassy in which Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three others were murdered on Sept. 11, 2012. Then there are the recent revelations that IRS agents targeted the Tea Party and other conservative groups to delay and possibly refuse 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Finally, consider accusations by the Associated Press that the Justice Department secretly seized records of outgoing calls from more than 20 phone lines. Although the government has not said why it sought the records, it is generally agreed that it has to do with locating leaks about a foiled terrorist plot.
Since the Obama administration had promised greater transparency and to restore hope and confidence in government, Americans have felt their hopes have been dashed rather than restored.
What do we do about the general national discontent? As is appropriate and possible, we take an active part in the political scene — without letting party loyalty blind us to what is best for the country as a whole. Then, excercise the power of the polls.
It seems likely to me that some of our national malaise has, in fact, crept into churches and has created a climate of discontent out of which is springing much conflict. As Eddie Heath says, it is hard to prove, but seems very likely.
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that the political ship of state will right itself any time soon, so the answer to our dilemma does not appear to rest in Washington. Rather, if help arrives it will come in the form of self-assessment and by God’s grace through the assistance offered by district associations, the BGAV or agencies like the Center for Congregational Health.
Another unfortunate reality is that associations sometimes create their own climates of distrust.
What can be done to help churches during this era? At the risk of sounding self-serving, in each issue of the Religious Herald appears an article called “Vital Signs,” written by Bill Wilson, president of the Center for Congregational Health. When we visit our doctor, usually the first thing the nurse does is take our vital signs. They check our temperature, pulse, blood pressure and respiration. If we are sick, one of these vital signs is usually a good indicator.
Likewise in churches, we can watch for vital signs which serve as indicators that not all is as it should be. What are these congregational vital signs? One of the most obvious is attendance. While it may cut back on conflict if everyone simply stayed home, it would certainly not be a sign of a healthy church.
A second congregational vital sign to watch for is spiritual vitality. What new missions has the congregation begun? Has it been instrumental in starting new churches? How does concern for the unsaved and the needy manifest itself in what the church is doing? Basic spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, prayer time and meditation figure prominently in creating health.
Third, are people giving regularly, sacrificially and cheerfully? In our times, church members have carefully kept their giving records secret as though it is not the pastor’s business. While this practice has become so entrenched that it may not change any time soon, the truth is that withholding this vital bit of information is akin to going to the doctor but refusing to allow the nurse to take our temperature.
During the mid-20th century, one Virginia Baptist church posted in the foyer a membership list complete with the amount each person contributed the previous year. The church leaders clearly understood that giving indicates spiritual health.
Unstructured fellowship is a fourth vital sign. Members’ behavior after the benediction indicates the fellowship health of the church. When people make a beeline to their cars, they are not necessarily connected to each other. On the other hand, if they linger to chat, they are catching up on church family news. Fellowship can also be planned, of course. Does your church know how to have fun together? Does it celebrate good things together? A church I visited recently displayed in the preschool hallway nests with blue eggs or pink eggs along with the names of the parents-to-be as a means of celebrating the impending birth of a child.
Attitude is a fifth vital sign. Some people gravitate to the negative side of life while others tend to be more positive. We sometimes identify these folks as “glass-half-empty” or “glass-half-full” people. When people who are generally positive become critical of teaching, preaching and all else, there is likely discontent within the church.
But these vital signs are mere indicators and not the source of congregational health.
Twenty-first century Virginia Baptist churches can work to become healthy faith communities. We can take advantage of good information regularly offered by Bill Wilson and others in the Religious Herald.
If our churches seem at risk, we can talk with our pastors, deacons, or church councils to surface the possibility that the national discontent is affecting our local church.
Finally, we can take heart that we do not work alone to achieve congregational health. Paul’s observation in Philippians 1:6 — “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” — applies to Virginia Baptist churches today.
It isn’t right to blame Washington for everything, but what happens in Washington certainly doesn’t stay in Washington.
Jim White (jwhite@religiousherald.org) is executive editor of the Religious Herald.